In recent technologies of super computers or servers, optical interconnections achieving low loss and low power-consumption have attracted attention along with an increase in use of broadband communications. For example, in high-speed optical interconnect packages, a number of large scale integration (LSI) packages are disposed on a board, and optical interconnect transceivers are disposed around the LSI within each package. Optical waveguides are formed from the optical transceivers toward ends of the package. The above configuration may shorten the length of electric signal wiring to provide a benefit of high-speed driving. Connecting destinations of the interconnects may include other LSIs, memories, storages, and the like to implement ultra-high speed and large-capacity transmissions.
In large-scale computers such as supercomputers or servers, the LSIs or optical elements on the package substrate may fail with a certain probability. In a configuration having plural LSI packages on a board, the failed LSIs or optical elements are replaced or maintained by reflowing per package. In view of detachment in such replacement or in view of cost efficiency, it is preferable to connect optical connectors to optical transmission paths, such as waveguides or optical fibers, on the package. In addition, it is desirable to provide low-loss optical connections in view of performance and reliability.
To mount a package, the size of the package substrate is restricted considering its warpage. Hence, the optical connectors are mounted merely in a limited, narrow area of a peripheral part of the LSI based on the size of the LSI. Thus, smaller and low-loss optical connectors may be desirable to be mounted on the package.
Lamprecht, et al. (referred to as “Non-Patent Document 1”), for example, discloses a technology to mount an adaptor connectable to a mechanically transferrable (MT) interface on the package substrate so as to connect the optical connectors to commercially available MT ferrules via the adaptors. However, the above-described technology using the adapters may require a large amount of manpower for accurate mounting. Further, the above technology may require a separate mechanical element to press the ferrules or fibers to be mounted on the substrate with respect to waveguides, which results in higher cost.
On the other hand, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 11-109186 (referred to as “Patent Document 1”) discloses a technology to dispose a fiber guide component on a substrate to align optical fibers in V-grooves of the fiber guide component. This fiber guide component is used for aligning optical fibers utilizing a groove structure of the fiber guide component. However, this fiber guide component is not used as a removable connector.
In implementing optical interconnection using such a removable connector, the fiber guide component having the V-grooves may need improvement to some more extent. This is because the optical fibers that are held by the removable connector need to move along a groove structure of the substrate. In this case, ends of adjacent optical fibers may closely approach to entangle one another. In addition, some structure to apply predetermined force to optical fibers is designed to hold the optical fibers against end faces of the waveguides formed in a photo-electronic component such as an optical package.